Lifestyle blog, fashion, beauty and interior

Month: July 2016

The reason that this blog is called Rapunzel the psychologist is because my ultimate goal is to qualify as a psychologist; and I was also called Rapunzel because of my long, blonde hair and decided to use the name in social media.

I have studied and worked in psychology and mental health for many years now, I’m constantly learning and I’m never bored by it. It’s so normal, yet it is often tabooed and not talked about. That’s another reason I chose my blog name, to focus on mental health and remove the stigma as much as I can.

What surprised me when I first got in to psychology is how many people who are educated on the topic but who can still be affected by it. Psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health nurses etc., even if you are educated you can still have mental health issues. And it is completely normal. Just like your GP can get the flu, your psychologist can have anxiety.

So far I am educated to postgrad level in psychology and I have a job that involves working closely with people with mental health issues. I know about different diagnosis, therapies, treatments, symptoms etc. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t be affected and that I am immune. Mental health issues are difficult, they can make you feel isolated and vulnerable. But they shouldn’t be. I know that I can be prone to certain mental illnesses, I have never been given a diagnosis because I have never brought the issues up with a GP or someone qualified in mental health. Luckily for me I was able to get out of the situation that I was in. I was either suffering from burnout, or SAD (seasonal affective disorder), the two are similar so I am not sure which diagnosis I would have been given. It was the most difficult months of my life and I felt extremely lonely, sad,worthless and I couldn’t imagine that I would ever get back the life that I had or that I would feel better. Luckily, it did. I’m not sure how I did it, but it was a slow process. What I wish I had done is reached out to friends and someone professional. I could have gotten help that would have made me better sooner. Or just had someone’s support when I was struggling. I hope this will be read by someone who is struggling and can use the advice. Reaching out to someone is never as hard as it seems then. Everyone goes through difficult times in their life and it is okay to not have the perfect life all of the time. Reach out to anyone, reach out to me, mental health is just as important as physical health.

I’m a girl’s girl. Most of my closest friends are girls, I have two younger sisters, and many of my interests are typical female interests. Although men are great and I love my boyfriend to death, nothing is like the friendship that you have to your female friends and family.

To me it’s so important to have valuable relationship with girls that I trust, admire and love. I need girls that I can have deep, interesting and thought provoking conversations with. Girls that I can laugh and cry with. Girls that I knew cheer for me and who I can celebrate their successes with. No matter if their values and goals are completely different then mine, I need girls that I am proud of and support.

I have several girlfriends who have become mums and I can see their joy and proud of the lives that they have created. And although becoming a mum is not a goal of mine in the near future and might never be, I am so happy for them because I see the joy that it brings them.

Girls, whatever it is that you want from life, go for it. Fight for it and work for it! Whether you want a family, travel the world or become a CEO, work for it and surround yourself with girls who applaud you for it. We only get stronger together.

Ah, Sunday’s. The ultimate chill out day. I remember hating Sunday’s when as a child as everything was closed and it often meant hiking or skiing trips with the family. Now, I love hiking and being in nature, but as a child it was the most boring thing I could think of.

Now as an adult Sunday’s are used to recharge, get ready for the week and a last chance to spend some quality time either with loved ones or alone.

Here’s some ideas of what to do on a Sunday

Have a spa day. I absolutely love spa days and you definitely don’t have to go to an actual spa to get the same experience. Gather your favourite products and put on some music or a film and feel yourself getting more and more relaxed. I love exfoliating my skin with a gentle exfoliation, using sheet masks, a moisturising hair mask and doing my nails.

Spend time outside. Is the weather nice? Go outside! Go for a walk in a near by park or the woods, go to the beach, go for a bike ride, whatever you want. Sunday’s a perfect for some light exercise.

Brunch. If you have the option (as in no kids), sleeping in is amazing when you have time off. If you live alone call a friend and go out for a long brunch or make a massive brunch at home and really take your time enjoying it. I wouldn’t say no to these pancakes!

Do absolutely nothing. Spend all day in bed or on the sofa reading or watching series or films. Some might be too restless for this or view it as a day wasted but I love spending a day barely moving. I need it and it almost always makes me more energised and ready for whatever I have on the next day.

Now, I’m not going to add a lot of ideas of things that will make you more productive, improve your skills or whatever. In my mind Sunday’s are for relaxing and to enjoy yourself, there’s plenty of time for the rest during the week. And especially for someone like myself who is a professional worrier and easily anxious, I don’t need another day where I’m told that I should do this and that. I need a day where I simply relax and do whatever I want, even if that means spending all day watching films. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do today. Enjoy your Sunday!

Wow, this has been a busy week! I started my new job this Monday, my parents were visiting from Monday to Wednesday AND I had my graduation on Tuesday. No need to say I was exhausted when I got home from my 12 (!) hour shift.

From not having a job to having such a busy week has definitely been a transition. I could definitely need some more sleep, there has been a couple grumpy mornings but I am soooo happy about this change. Doing something productive and keeping busy is so important for my well-being. I was out of a job for many months and that lead to unhappiness, stress, and not feeling like I was contributing or worth as much. And, let me just come with a disclaimer here. I am by all means not saying that not working means that you are worth less then other people. I am only saying that for me personally, I am happier and feel better about myself when I am working or working towards something.

Oh, and how I have missed writing here these last few days! I can feel it as I am typing theses words – I get so much happiness and stress relief from writing on this blog. It truly is a sanctuary for me and I hope it will continue to be so for years and years.

I will definitely start writing a few blog posts that I can schedule for days when I am at work and simply only have time for work and sleep. Writing posts, taking and editing pictures and making my blog more and more pretty and how I want it to look like is so much fun for me and I don’t want to end up not posting for several days. I know what it’s like when you go on a blog and the person never updates, you just end up never visiting the blog again and that is not what I want.

One of my favourite ways to relax along with reading blogs, is it watch YouTube videos. And while I can’t picture myself ever making my own YouTube channel as I would be far too uncomfortable, I love watching my favourites!

Fleur de Force

Fleur has been my favourite YouTuber for years and years. I stumbled upon one of her videos about exam study tips, while I was procrastinating studying for an exam lol. Ever since then I have followed both her beauty channel and her vlog channel. Her vlog channel is in my opinion the best on YouTube and she shares her everyday life in her house in the countryside, flat in London, life with her husband Mike, her 3 doggies and family and friends. She does a lot of travel, and her life is definitely exciting but my favourite vlogs are when she is filming quiet days at home.

Jaclyn Hill

Despite the fact that she’s been on YouTube for years I only just discovered Jaclyn’s channel, and I think I’m in love! She’s is hysterical, beautiful, and her makeup videos are both entertaining and educational as she takes the time to explain the steps to her makeup and gives lots of tips. She comes across as truly caring, loving and down to earth and she shares her struggles with living on no money and with mental health issues. As someone who is interested in mental health, I encourage others to watch Jaclyn’s channel as she comes with great advice and shows that you can succeed even if you have mental health issues.

Canna / Sugar Mamma

Canna is a financial advisor who started making videos on YouTube giving personal finance advice. Geeky as I am, personal finance excited me and Canna is a fabulous and girly as well as really knowing her “stuff”. To me, that’s a bit more exciting than talking with a boring old man in a grey suite in a dark, dull office (sorry, I know this is probably a bit over exaggerated, but you get the point). She gives great advice on saving, prioritising what to spend money on, the importance of investing and how to invest. Love this channel!

Lauren Curtis

An Australian make up and beauty YouTuber that I have been following for a while. Lauren is stunning, and her makeup videos are both entertaining and makes me want to duplicate her makeup asap. Lauren is really girly and takes her time to chat to her viewers while doing her makeup. She doesn’t try to be someone she else or exaggerate, she’s herself and that shows.

Chloe Morella

Another Australian make up and beauty YouTuber whom I love. Chloe is hilarious, and I wish I could make her my best friend! She’s absolutely beautiful, she is unforgivingly funny and isn’t afraid to use grown up words, something that annoys me about some channels. Her makeup is always stunning, my only wish is that she would do more vlogs as she would be hysterical.

I think what’s important to me is that the people I watch come across as genuine and that they don’t try to be someone else or improve on who they are. Even though, for me, this is only something that I do to relax and recharge, I’m not going to end up watching people that annoy me or watch someone who is trying to copy someone else. I think YouTubers are often better entertainment than many people that we watch on TV, and I find it admirable how much hard work that they put in and all the criticism that they have to put up with and still deliver. Okay, my little rant is over lol.

I am exhausted! I have spent hours walking around central London playing Pokemon Go. Yes, I’m one of them. Lol, I feel like such a geek. But it’s honestly so much fun! The game was launched in Europe yesterday and one of my friends and I decided to try it out. I would definitely recommend trying it, you get so in to finding new Pokemon’s, collecting balls and getting to new levels. So far I don’t understand how you really fight other Pokemon’s but I figure I will find it out eventually. It’s also hilarious to take pictures of the Pokemon’s in famous areas and my friend and I have been laughing all day while the time just flew by.

One tip if you’re in London or going to be in London is to visit different parks, you’ll find loads of Pokemon’s in them. The training gym also tend to be where the big landmarks are, such as Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly circus etc.

Oh, I’m feel so relaxed, at peace and my stress levels have decreased drastically. I spent one day at a spa resort in the countryside, with limited internet access. The perfect cure for any stressed individual. It was beautifully green, the hotel and spa facility was built in a style not unlike the cottages in the Swiss Alps.

The facilities consists of a pool, sauna, jacuzzi, steam room and an outside jacuzzi overlooking a small charming pond that is the home of several cute ducks. It could not get more peaceful. There’s also a range of spa treatments from massages, scrubs and manicures. I got a pedicure with a heavenly foot massage, and also a facial to rejuvenate the skin, leaving it feeling firm, glowy and soft. No need to say that I was having a good day yesterday.

In the evening followed a three course meal with out favourite red wine, candles, overlooking the pond. Definitely a recommended stay cation if you’re like me and not able to take your holiday abroad but still want the feel of being on holiday.